Healthcare KPIs and Dashboards: Measuring What Matters

1. Program overview

Badly chosen indicators do more harm than no indicators at all: they get gamed, they measure what is easy, and they hide the variation that matters. This course covers indicator design from first principles — what makes a measure valid, reliable and actionable, how to write a complete indicator specification, choosing denominators, setting targets that are defensible, and building a dashboard that supports a decision rather than decorating a wall. It includes how to present variation honestly and the unintended consequences that follow from measurement.

2. Why this program

• Indicator design from first principles.
• Complete specifications, not vague measure names.
• Honest treatment of gaming and unintended consequences.
• Dashboards designed for decisions.

3. Who it is for

Quality Officer · Healthcare Manager · Nurse · Physician · Allied Health

4. Program objectives

• Distinguish structure, process and outcome indicators and their appropriate use
• Write a complete indicator specification including numerator and denominator
• Evaluate an indicator for validity, reliability and actionability
• Set targets and thresholds that are defensible
• Present variation without misleading the reader
• Identify the gaming and distortion risks a measure creates

5. Learning outcomes

• Classify a set of indicators as structure, process or outcome
• Write a complete specification for a described measurement need
• Evaluate a proposed indicator against validity and actionability criteria
• Identify the distortion risk created by a stated target
• Select an appropriate chart form for a given measurement question
• Recommend improvements to a described dashboard

6. Curriculum

1. Module 1: What Makes a Good Indicator

   • What Makes a Good Indicator

2. Module 2: Writing the Specification

   • Writing the Specification

3. Module 3: Targets and Thresholds

   • Targets and Thresholds

4. Module 4: Showing Variation

   • Showing Variation

5. Module 5: Gaming and Consequences

   • Gaming and Consequences

7. Duration and structure

Total study hours: 3.5 — 2.75h content + 0.75h assessment. Duration is expressed in study hours only.

9. What you receive

This certificate confirms completion of Healthcare KPIs and Dashboards: Measuring What Matters. Duration is expressed in study hours.

10. Delivery format

Self-paced · start any time · any device · lifetime access to the enrolled version.